


Drabbles and Short Stories

by YanaEffect



Category: Naruto
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-09
Updated: 2018-01-22
Packaged: 2018-11-12 02:48:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11152641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YanaEffect/pseuds/YanaEffect
Summary: Chapter 1: Naruto and Sasuke are at the zoo!Chapter 2: Back To HimChapter 3: The Faucet Chronicles - Part IChapter 4: The Faucet Chronicles - Part IIChapter 5: Rainy SundayChapter 6: Carnival





	1. Naruto and Sasuke at the zoo!

This is what I’ve written after watching [https://youtu.be/JDoFwNMU53g](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fyoutu.be%2FJDoFwNMU53g&t=YzMxYTJiZjg4NDAzMTA5ZGQzNDY4N2IyNWI3YjU1OTk3M2Y0MmI4ZSxXNTN1bjFGNA%3D%3D&b=t%3AwxomPrmMrwBZLtnTdN12Dw&p=https%3A%2F%2Fyellowandblack.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F161582237982%2Fnaruto-and-sasuke-at-the-zoo&m=1)

It’s stupid so read at your own risk. XD

* * *

Naruto sheltered his eyes from the sun with his right hand as he looked around the zoo. After begging for weeks, Sasuke had finally agreed to come here with him. Of course, it had taken some serious effort (like promising he would do the dishes for the next two weeks), but he would worry about that later. Right now, he was here to have fun.

“I’m going to kill you if I get a sunburn,” Sasuke growled behind him. “You _had to_ choose a sunny day, hadn’t you.”

“You put on tons of sunscreen, Sasuke,” Naruto cheered happily, turning around to regard his grumpy boyfriend. “You’re wearing a long sleeved shirt. I bought you those cool glasses! You can’t possibly get a sunburn.”

“Glasses have nothing to do with getting a sunburn,” he shook his head. Naruto smiled crookedly when he realized Sasuke hadn’t said anything bad about the glasses. They absolutely were cool, but his boyfriend sometimes tended to be a dick.

“Anyway. Come on. We gotta find the miniature of the Zimbabwe River.”

“It’s weird,” Sasuke mumbled, his brows furrowed. “I’ve never heard of a Zimbabwe River.”

“Then you didn’t listen to your Geography teacher as well as you think.”

Sasuke sighed, looking around for any signboards. Unlike Naruto, he wouldn’t risk getting lost, or worse, getting eaten by a tiger. When he spotted one, he grabbed Naruto’s wrist and started dragging the poor man toward it.

“ _Sasukeee_ ,” Naruto whined as he tried keeping up with his boyfriend’s pace. “Don’t look at it. We can find our own way and turn this into an adventure. I don’t wanna just find the river and leave!”

Biting his bottom lip, Sasuke stopped. It wasn’t like Naruto would often ask him to do these kinds of things. The blond knew Sasuke was a busy man –which he appreciated greatly- and avoided forcing him into stuff. This time, it was different. The enthusiasm radiating from the blond was almost palpable. “Fine. But don’t get too close to dangerous animals.”

“Okay, mom,” Naruto rolled his eyes. A small smile made his lips twitch. “Wait – I think I know someone we can ask where we can find the river.”

He shook Sasuke’s loosened grip off and started walking to a bunch of statues. They were sculptured nicely, the coloring was nice. They looked almost real.

Naruto kneeled before one of them. He had taken off his jacket, and the orange t-shirt he was wearing under it showed off the definition of his muscles. Sasuke smirked.

The statue was of an old, bearded man holding a clay pitcher. “Do you know how to get to the Zimbabwe River?”

Sasuke barked out a laugh. “What are you doing, idiot?”

Naruto pursed his lips. Sasuke paused, and a moment later, he was wearing a _what-the-hell-am-I-doing_ look on his face. He took a step toward the two statues placed side by side. “Watch and learn.” He cleared his throat. “Excuse me, good sir?”

Beside him, Naruto rose and started giggling. Sasuke could feel a few people staring at them, but what the hell. It was Naruto’s happiness that mattered here.

Plus, he was pretty sure nobody he knew would ever come to a zoo.

“Do you know how to get to the Zimbabwe River?”

“They’re not answering!” Naruto put his arm around Sasuke’s shoulders. “Should we pay them or somethin’? I don’t have any loose change.”

“There are other ways to pay for things, Naruto.”

“Eww!” He took a step back away from his boyfriend. “Gross! I’m supposed to be your boyfriend. You can’t say that!”

Sasuke brushed his dark bangs to the side and lifted the dark layer of his glasses to see Naruto’s face clearly. “I didn’t suggest you do it. There’s no way in hell I’m letting you do that to anyone. Now shut your mouth and let’s go find your stupid river.”

“Aww, Sasuke,” Naruto started smirking. He liked teasing Sasuke. “Are you jealous?”

“Jealous of a piece of rock?” He turned around and started to walk. “ _Usuratonkachi_.”

“Hey. Wait for me!”

…

They were now standing right in front of a huge map of Egypt. Naruto narrowed his eyes in confusion, touching random spots on the board. “So, we’re here,” he touched somewhere. “We’re gonna go down to the Nile River.”

“No,” Sasuke folded his arms. “We have to go South.”

“South?” Naruto made a confused expression and looked at the map again. “North. South.”

He looked like he had trouble determining the difference between them. “We’re in Egypt right now. How did we even get here?”

Naruto chuckled and shrugged. “I don’t know!”

With a grin, he took Sasuke’s hand in his and started dragging him to what looked like an old train station. Sasuke let him. Something he normally wouldn’t do. “What is this train station even doing here?”

Naruto pulled out a bottle of coke from his backpack and took a sip. “No idea.”

“Anyway,” Sasuke snatched the bottle and drank some. It was too sweet. “I see animals ahead. Let’s ask them if they know.”

“Great idea,” Naruto smiled. The breeze was making his unruly blond hair look even more tangled. Sasuke ran his fingers through it. It was tangled, but still soft.

“You need to brush your hair every once in a while,” he spoke.

“Nah. It gets puffy.”

“Suit yourself,” he gave the bottle to Naruto and licked his lips.

A couple of minutes later, they were standing under a tiger. They were inside of a thick glass cabin that separated the visitors and the animals, but the damn tiger had apparently decided to sit on the glass. The view wasn’t exactly breathtaking.

Also, they were standing under a tiger.

“We shouldn’t have come here,” Sasuke muttered. He was standing behind Naruto, watching the animal’s movements with narrowed eyes while Naruto grinned and touched the glass.

For Naruto, it was an amazing view. He wasn’t really afraid of tigers. They were fed, so he was sure they wouldn’t eat him. Also, the glass was really thick. “Don’t be a scaredy-cat, Sasuke. It’s just animals. We have a cat. You’re not afraid of _her_. How come you don’t like tigers?”

“Because unlike tigers, our cat doesn’t stare at me like I’m her prey.”

“Mm.” Naruto caressed the part of the glass that touched the animal’s tail. It looked fluffy. “I gotta tell you something.”

“Please do it when we’re out of here,” Sasuke said. He knew Naruto would follow him, so he got out of the cabin.

Without saying anything, Naruto started running toward a red safari truck. It looked really cool. But the tires were buried under the sand. He took a selfie with it and sent it to Kiba before getting in.

“Are you sure it’s okay to get in it?”

He rolled his eyes. “Of course it is. There’s no sign that says ‘ _Please don’t get in_.’”

“You didn’t even look for one.”

“True,” he laughed like a child. He wasn’t going to ask Sasuke to get in. It was a miracle that the man had agreed to come here in the first place.

With a thud, he hopped off and started shaking Sasuke’s shoulders. His skin felt warm under the blue shirt he was wearing. “Oh my God! Our car broke down!”

Arching a dark brow, Sasuke looked at him skeptically before he gave in with a sigh and played along. “What do we do?”

“We can’t go back home now. We’ll have to spend the night in the car. And I’ve heard that nights are cold in Egypt.” His voice turned husky, and he leaned in, speaking directly into Sasuke’s ear. “I guess we’ll just have to heat each other up.”

He heard a throaty chuckle, and an arm wrapped around him. “ _Idiot_. What were you going to tell me anyway?”

“Umm,” Naruto pulled back, fidgeting slightly. “There is no Zimbabwe River miniature. I just really wanted to come here. There isn’t even a ‘Zimbabwe River’- but admit it, you liked being here!”

Instead of hitting him like he was expecting him to do, Sasuke sniggered and drew Naruto in for a quick kiss.


	2. Back To Him

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is an awkward one. It was 2 in the morning and I had just begun to write. Sorry if it creeps anybody out.

Naruto was sitting in a bubble bath, watching the sun set from the huge window next to the old ceramic bathtub once again. The water was lukewarm, not warm enough to heat him up, but not cold enough to make him shiver either. He knew there was a small crack somewhere, leaking water and letting it pool on the hardwood floor, but he couldn't care less.

He watched until the sun was invisible, leaving the forest under it dark and mysterious. Letting out a sigh, he got up, pulling the stopper along with him. He heard a loud voice coming from the tubes underneath, indicating that the tub had already started to empty itself. He lifted a tan leg to get out, and put on the white fluffy robe he had placed on a chair before he got in. Drying himself wasn't a priority when he felt this empty, so he didn't bother with it. He started to climb down the stairs, hearing them creak and squeak every time he took a step. Once he was downstairs, he proceeded to walk towards the great fireplace. The old mansion didn't have a heating system, but it was fine for Naruto. How wouldn't it be fine when he was burning on the inside?

He reached for the bottle of wine standing on a dusty table made out of maple, and poured some in the glass next to it. When did he place them there, he couldn't remember. Taking the now filled glass with him, he sat on a seat that had golden embroidery on it. It was comfortable. Naruto crossed his legs and sipped on his wine, the sour taste making him grimace. His muscled legs were out in the open, drops of water still gliding down to the floor. He fixed his eyes on the fireplace. The woods he threw in it earlier were on fire, just like his soul. The only difference was that the woods would eventually burn down, leaving nothing but coals and ashes behind them. Naruto's soul wouldn't. It would burn until eternity, or until he could taste the sweet relief of death.

He took another sip, watching the flames as they danced around and created shapes, reminding Naruto of the past. These long, long nights were the worst. He couldn't help but remember when he felt the warmth radiating off from the fireplace these nights _. He was there, they were passionately making out on the king sized bed,_ _he could feel cold hands making their way to his stomach from his thighs_ , but when he blinked, he was gone, and Naruto was all alone once again. He was his savior, his lover, his friend, and one and only tormentor.

When he came back, Naruto would let him take him, own him, possess him in every single way. He had Naruto's heart, his soul, his body and his mind. He could make Naruto cry, he could make Naruto laugh. Naruto was putty in his hand.

Then he remembered all the nights when he would put his head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat after being fucked senseless into the mattress. He knew that his heart would only beat for him. Him and _no one else_.

He couldn't help but sob whenever he felt this lonely, whenever he was without him. But he wouldn't give in to the teardrops. He wouldn't let them fall as long as he wasn't here to dry them.

Naruto wasn't mad at Sasuke. He nodded to himself, confirming his thought. He was never mad. How could he get mad at him when he owned his all existence? How could he get mad at _himself_?

Drinking the last drop and putting the glass on the dark brown Persian rug, he smiled crookedly. He knew that Sasuke wouldn't be able to live without him. He would eventually come back to him.

He always did.


	3. The Faucet Chronicles - Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I dedicate this series to the faucet in our kitchen.

Sasuke rubbed the last dirty plate with the soapy sponge and put it on the countertop along with the other dishes. To rinse them all, he held the faucet handle and pulled it down. The water started to gush out instead of flowing in a thin stream. 

“The hell?” He muttered under his breath. He stopped it, but his worn out, dark red t-shirt now was wet from the splattered water. It wasn’t soaking, but he didn’t like wearing wet clothes. He pulled the handle down once more, this time, more carefully, but it didn’t work. He couldn’t set it to flow enough to wash the dishes, but not too much to avoid wasting water – and a crazy bill.

He decided to call out to his boyfriend to help him fix it. He set his hands on the countertop to prevent his soapy dish gloves from dripping to the floor. “Naruto. Could you bring me the toolbox?”

Silence embraced him.

“Naruto?”

There was no answer from said person. He sighed, taking off his gloves and walking out of the kitchen to get the box himself. Naruto probably had his headphones on. It was Friday, and on the week days, they’d had their final exams, which had been very tiring for both of them, and it was the reason why Sasuke had to wash so many dishes.

He got the box from the cupboard next to the front door and went back to the kitchen. Before fixing the faucet and finishing off, he decided to take one last look around the house for any coffee mugs.

The bedroom was clean. He’d already checked once but finding dirty dishes after thinking he’d cleaned them all pissed him off. Moving on to the living room of their small flat, he checked the coffee table and the desk. TV was on, but the volume level was low. Just as he was about to leave, he noticed Naruto curled up in a ball on the couch.

He took a step toward him. No, he didn’t have his headphones on. He was just taking a nap.

“Idiot,” he said under his breath with affection. It only made sense. Sasuke was very tired himself, and he was sure Naruto had slept even less than himself last week. It was his fault for not paying attention to his professors, but it didn’t stop Sasuke from pitying him.

He picked up the small throw blanket and put it on Naruto. After he was done with the dishes, they could both go to bed and sleep forever. Until then, he figured he would let Naruto sleep. He turned the TV and the lights off, returning to the kitchen to finish his duty.

It was about 20 minutes later when he deemed the kitchen clean enough. Well, he still had to dry the dishes and put them back to their places, but he needed some sleep or else things would slip away from his tired hands and shatter to pieces on the floor. He didn’t want to clean shards when it was -he checked the clock- 4 minutes to midnight.

He silently sat down on the small space Naruto didn’t occupy on the couch. The blond was now sprawled out. He had dark bags under his eyes and his dirty blond hair looked more disheveled than ever. Sasuke hadn’t even known it was possible.

“Naruto,” he mumbled, taking the blanket off of him. “Let’s go to bed.”

He earned himself an irritated grumble and nothing more.

“Naruto,” he said one more time. “Your whole body will ache if you sleep here.”

“ _Go away_.”

Sighing tiredly, he tucked Naruto’s bangs behind his ear. Naruto was always crabby when he was sleep deprived. Sasuke wasn’t a morning person himself so he could understand the pain, but the couch wasn’t the place to sleep.

“Come on, sleepyhead,” he urged. “I’ll fall asleep on you if you don’t get up.”

Naruto’s arms were suddenly around his torso, bringing him down to Naruto’s chest. The moment his head made contact with Naruto’s body, he felt drowsy. Yes, he was perfectly aware they needed to go to bed. He had to change his t-shirt too. But Naruto was so damn warm!

“Let me sleep,” Naruto said, half asleep.

“No, Naruto,” he protested, although his lids were already closed. “My hips hurt from this position.”

“Mm.”

Sasuke sat up with the willpower he didn’t know he possessed at the moment and grabbed Naruto’s shoulders, forcefully making him sit up as well. With that, Naruto opened his eyes. They were bloodshot.

“Bed’s more comfortable,” Sasuke mumbled as if trying to convince him. “I washed your mugs. Comply my wish.”

Naruto offered him an exhausted smile, but it was cut in by a yawn. Sasuke internally smirked. His face muscles felt too sore to do it for real.

They wordlessly got up and found their way to the bedroom. Naruto immediately let himself fall to the bed.

Sasuke pulled off his t-shirt and put it on the back of a chair to let it dry. Suddenly, finding another t-shirt to wear sounded too tiring. Next thing he knew, he was pulling the covers from under Naruto to be able to use them.

“ _Sasukeee_ ,” Naruto grumbled. “Get in already.”

“Hn,” was all Sasuke could muster his strength for. He got in, covering both of them. The air wasn’t chilly, but his naked chest made him lose some body heat. Thankfully, Naruto was there to solve his little problem. Sasuke didn’t need to think twice as he spooned Naruto, feeling the heat radiating off of him.

He was drifting away. He barely felt his boyfriend turn in his arms, plant a gentle kiss on his forehead and pull him closer to his chest. “G’night, Sasuke.”


	4. The Faucet Chronicles - Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The faucet is pissing me off again.

Naruto was finally done with cleaning the plates. His boyfriend had apparently washed the mountain of dirty dishes last night so Naruto only had the ones they’d used during breakfast to clean, but it was such a boring task. At least he had some music on. His phone was sitting on the small shelf, playing _Pump It_ by Black Eyed Peas. Wiggling his hips, he pulled the faucet handle down. It didn’t work. He tried again, with more force, and next thing he knew, the front of his shirt was dripping with water.

“Shit!” He cried, pushing the handle up. “What the fuck is wrong with this? Sasuke!”

“What is it?” Came Sasuke’s muffled voice from the living room.

“Why is this tap bein’ weird?”

He waited for Sasuke to answer, but instead, Sasuke walked into the kitchen with the toolbox in his hand. He was frowning. “I thought I fixed it yesterday.”

“Apparently you haven’t,” Naruto pouted. His favorite _ramen!_ shirt was soaking!

Sasuke grabbed Naruto’s phone and stopped the song. “How can you listen to that while you’re doing the dishes?”

“Just fix the faucet, Sasuke. I’ll take my shirt off.”

He didn’t like using dish gloves, so he simply wiped his hands on his shirt (it needed cleaning anyway) and took it off, paying a quick visit to the bathroom to put it in the washer.

When he returned to the kitchen, Sasuke was turning the faucet on and off. “It works fine now.”

“Heh. Lemme quickly rinse these, then I’ll join you. What are you watchin’?”

Sasuke took a seat in one of the chairs. “Torchwood.”

“Barrowman? _Again_? It’s like you have an obsession with the guy.” He started to rinse the plates.

“Mm. Jealous?”

“Hardly,” he rolled his eyes, although Sasuke couldn’t see it. “We’re not having a gay off here.”

He heard the sound of the chair’s legs screeching against the floor. Two arms wound around his waist. “He’s definitely gayer.”

“Is he?” He sneered. “Then go hug _him_.”

“I thought you wouldn’t accept defeat this easily,” he planted a sensual kiss on the back of Naruto’s neck. “Maybe you should show me.”

Naruto turned the water off and wiped his hands on the small towel hanging off the cupboard knob. He turned around, letting Sasuke trap him between the counter and himself. “Maybe I should. Looks like it’s time I remind you who’s your owner.”

“How about a leash around my neck?”

“Kinky,” he licked his lips, leaning in to give Sasuke a lingering kiss. “But I’ll prefer handcuffs this time ‘round.”

“Works for me,” Sasuke smirked and grabbed Naruto’s wrist. “Let’s go to the bedroom.”

Naruto didn’t even wait for Sasuke to drag him. He started dragging Sasuke instead.

“You weren’t this eager for the bed last night.”

“Stop killing the mood, bastard,” Naruto said as he pushed Sasuke to the mattress, connecting their lips again. “I’ll punish you extra for this.”


	5. Rainy Sunday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Depression is in the air.

There was a haze of heat in the air that caused his mouth to go dry, and Naruto was sprawled out on the couch, given up on wishing for some breeze. The TV was on, but Naruto wasn’t watching it. His eyes were focused on the abstract painting on the wall.

He took a deep breath.

Being home alone on a Sunday was boring him out of his mind. And there was this feeling that he couldn’t name. Every activity he could possibly think of doing seemed pointless. Depression was the first thing that came to mind, but Naruto knew it wasn’t that. It would come and go. Tomorrow, he would be the ball of sunshine he normally was. But right now, he was far from it.

A thunder made him jump slightly. The sky was clear the last time he’d looked out the window, which was in the morning when Sasuke had left. He checked the time. It was a little past 4 in the evening.

Then, another rumbling sound was heard. As if on cue, the TV shut down, indicating the power going out. In a sterile apathy, Naruto blinked at the black screen.

For a couple more minutes, he stayed on the couch, thinking about nothing in particular. The smell of dampened earth filled his senses. He listened carefully, but it wasn’t raining.

A soft sigh left his dry lips. He licked them for some extra moisture, and stood up, prepping his hand on the back of the couch as he did. For a brief second, he felt light-headed. It was really early in the morning when Sasuke had left, so they hadn’t had breakfast. Come to think of it, Naruto hadn’t eaten anything today.

He leisurely stepped out of the room and headed for the kitchen. His eyes found his reflection in the mirror while he passed through the hallway. The dead look in his eyes was irritating. Hurriedly, he walked away.

He filled the kettle with some water and put it on the stove. He tried multiple times, but he couldn’t light the stove. It took him some effort to realize he needed to use a lighter when there was a power outage. He opened the cupboard above the stove and took out the lighter there.

As the water started to heat gradually, he grabbed one of the granola bars standing in a basket on top of the microwave and sat down on one of the chairs. The window was open, and miraculously, the wind was blowing now, even putting out some of the fire underneath the kettle before the flames rose up again.

Naruto ate the rest of his bar and threw away the packaging. Slipping his hands into the pockets of his sweatpants, he walked to the window, his bare feet feeling the coldness of the tiles. Gray clouds now hid the blue sky. The sight only deepened the sourceless pangs within him.

He didn’t know how long he stood there, watching. When the kettle started whistling, he shook his head to get out of his dazed state. He found a white mug with brown dots on it and poured the boiling water into it. He hadn’t decided what he wanted to drink, but the spicy tea that Sasuke had bought for winter seemed like a good option, so he went with that. As he tore the wrap, he lost his grip and it fell to the ground. He simply crouched down and got it.

The strong scent of vanilla spreading from his drink was relaxing. He mixed a bit of milk in it too, not caring enough to stir it with a spoon.

That’s when it went absolutely wild outside. The rain started, like it was being poured down from a bucket full of water, and Naruto unconsciously gasped. Every muscle in his body felt tense.

The chair by the balcony door was occupied by Naruto within a minute. Silently, he sipped at his tea, letting the cinnamon flavor warm up his emotions. It wasn’t so hot now, and the humidity didn’t really bother Naruto. He put his feet up, hugging his legs to his chest.

In hindsight, he felt like he’d wasted the day. Maybe they could cook with Sasuke when he got home. Or watch a movie. Naruto didn’t really mind.

As quick as the rain had started, it had slowed down in record speed by the time Naruto was done with his tea. He washed out the mug and put it on the dish rack. Before he left, he downed a glass of cold water too.

His day was a blur after that. He realized the power was back, but opted to take a nap instead of anything else. It was dreamless.

He was surprised at how his heart started to race as the doorbell rang, the sound echoing in the empty house. He practically sprinted to the front door and opened it. Sasuke was soaked, his clothes dripping and he wore an annoyed look on his face, probably from being wet to his core.

What Naruto did next was unexpected. He lunged forward, wrapped his arms around Sasuke’s broad shoulders and hugged him. _Tight_.

“Naruto?”

Sasuke sounded skeptical, but after a moment of hesitation, he dropped the bags he held and returned the hug. Naruto could feel his own clothes getting wet, but honestly, he didn’t give a damn.

“You missed me that much?” Sasuke’s voice was teasing, but soft. One of his hands stroked Naruto’s back while the other caressed his hair. “I wasn’t away for that long.”

“…Sasuke,” Naruto whispered, afraid his voice would crack if he spoke louder than that. As if feeling the vulnerability in Naruto’s state of mind, Sasuke didn’t question it. He only tightened the hug, his cold lips brushing against the side of Naruto’s neck.

Naruto felt safe like that. In Sasuke’s arms, feeling his warm breath on his skin.

Eventually, though, he stepped back. Not that he’d had enough, but if Sasuke stayed in those clothes any longer, he could catch a cold.

“Welcome home,” he smiled, feeling at least a bit happy for the first time today. “I’ll draw you a nice, hot bath.”

Sasuke smiled back. “Sounds good.”


	6. Carnival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sasuke has psychological disorders. Naruto is an orphan. They meet at a carnival.
> 
> Writing practice. It's kind of odd, and I didn't really proofread it. Apologies in advance.

_Breathe in. Breathe out._

Sasuke retreated his hand from the tree trunk he’d been leaning against a moment ago. Out of the blue, an anxiety attack had decided to show up and it had consumed all his energy, leaving him weak in the knees.

He’d never asked to come to this carnival. Seriously, he was perfectly fine with sitting at qhome and maybe ordering a movie from Pay-Per-View. But apparently, his older brother did not agree if the way he practically dragged Sasuke into the car was a hint. And now that he’d left Sasuke alone to use the restroom, Sasuke was feeling lonely – and extremely uncomfortable.

He put a hand on his chest to check his heartbeat. It was not stable yet, but he felt well enough to walk. The entire area was lit up with led lamps in seven different colors. It reminded Sasuke of the rainbows he used to draw when he was in kindergarten. He missed those days, sometimes. There was something about drawing. Crayons used to call out to him, and Sasuke would follow them without hesitation.

Nowadays, all he could think about when he saw crayons was the toxic smell that radiated from the box and the way the colors would smear all over his fingers.

The fresh smell of grass was occupying his senses, mixing with the salty scent coming from the nearby sea. Without his consent, his feet started to carry him away. The noise was dizzying; Sasuke watched his shiny shoes as he paced forward, fleeing from the pristine carnival scene.

“Oof!”

Gravity was a douche, Sasuke had always known. His body kissed the ground. He had done laundry yesterday, and now his jeans were covered in dirt and possibly grass stains.

“Ah, man. Sorry! You okay?”

“Just peachy,” Sasuke mumbled. A hand reached out to hoist him up. He hesitantly accepted the offer, getting reminded of the sweat and dust on his palm as soon as their skin made contact. He hoped the other person wouldn’t mind. Embarrassed, he wiped his hands on his clothing.

His eyes were wild and afraid… at least he thought so. If he had a pocket mirror, he would be able to see the blush on his warm cheeks. He made a mental note to buy one sometime. His brother had made it clear that Sasuke shouldn’t waste money on knick-knacks. That was fine. A mirror was a need, not something he wanted to buy for luxury.

“Umm…”

“Sorry,” Sasuke said. “My bad. I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

“It’s fine. You really okay, though? You look hot. If you’re sick or somethin’, I can get you some water.”

“No need for that.” He shoved his hands into the pockets of his sweatshirt. They were cold. Sasuke was used to it. They tended to freeze when Sasuke was anxious, and he’d made a fool of himself by bumping into someone on an unoccupied road. “I’ll just leave.”

He wondered where he could find Itachi. He wanted to go home.

“Hmm?”

A second later, the face he’d been avoiding for the last couple of minutes entered his view. Sasuke kept eye contact only for a brief moment.

“Why aren’t you lookin’ at me?”

“I gotta go,” Sasuke announced. His voice came out as a whisper. At least it prevented the other from hearing the shaking. He curled his toes in his black Timberland boots, hoping the boy would leave him alone. “Sorry again.”

The chuckle that followed his sentence was… nice.

“Dude, it’s totally fine. You should stop saying you’re sorry.”

Sasuke nodded. “Alright. Sorry.”

“You did it again!”

Confused, he cocked his head to the side, frowning. A part of him wanted to get away as soon as possible. He didn’t appreciate people talking to him, but this person seemed like he would not give up on trying to communicate with Sasuke. But his hands weren’t so cold anymore.

“I’m Naruto. What’s your name?”

He glanced at Naruto’s face, only a second. He was afraid he would start hyperventilating again, and since Itachi wasn’t nearby, he didn’t know what he would do. He could faint, get kidnapped. He’d heard mafias often looked for teens and young adults for organs in carnivals.

Shaking his head, he fixed his gaze on the other’s shoes. “Sasuke.”

“Nice to meetcha!”

He had to look up again. Why would he like it? There was nothing pleasant about someone bumping into you.

Naruto’s shoes were dirty. Sasuke then realized his jeans were also stained and tattered, and he wore a short-sleeved T-shirt that was probably a bit too thin for Autumn. Why aren’t you wearing a jacket? And you should wash your clothes more often,” he blurted out.

“Ah…” Naruto fidgeted. “I don’t have a jacket.”

“You should buy one. You’ll catch a cold.”

“I don’t have money.”

Sasuke started chewing on his bottom lip. He was starting to feel guilty for saying that. He hadn’t meant to be rude. No, he definitely didn’t want to sound rude. Especially now, when someone was actually being nice to him. It was a rare occurrence.

Naruto didn’t say anything else, and Sasuke’s mood immediately dropped. Maybe that was his cue to leave… that had to be it. People being nice to him just wasn’t a thing.

He turned around and started to walk away, feeling his face burn up.

“Wait!”

Sasuke raised his brows. He felt a hand grabbing his. Why was Naruto holding his hand? He wanted Sasuke to go… He didn’t want to talk to Sasuke anymore, so why was he stopping him?

“Why are you leaving?”

“I have to find my brother,” he quickly said. The skin of his hand tingled and burned.

“You can tell me if you don’t want to talk with me anymore, y’know.” Naruto’s tone was acceptant. He sounded genuinely okay with it. “I don’t like making people uncomfortable with my existence. I know the drill.”

Sasuke slowly turned around. His bangs were blocking his sight. He needed a haircut. He was also fully aware that Naruto was still holding his hand. “What drill?”

Naruto seemed baffled. “…What?”

“You said you know the drill,” Sasuke murmured as he looked around, eyes searching for said tool. “I didn’t know they brought drills to carnivals. Is that some sort of tradition?”

The hearty laughter that left Naruto’s throat made Sasuke feel uneasy. He hadn’t said anything funny, much less a joke. He knitted his brows and managed a weak glare. He also tried tugging his hand out of Naruto’s grasp, but the other only held on tighter.

When Naruto calmed down enough to talk, he still had a gentle smile on his face. “That’s just an idiom. There is no drill.”

Realization hit Sasuke like a freight train. The guilt from earlier came back full force. Itachi had lectured him many times about idioms, sayings, and sarcastic expressions, but Sasuke still sucked at them. He just… couldn’t get them through his thick skull.

“Anyway. What was I saying?”

Sasuke gulped. It was weird to realize the conversation had been going on for almost ten minutes. Usually, people left after hearing a couple of sentences come out of Sasuke’s mouth. The discontent he felt toward the situation subsided, although he was still very self-conscious of the hand holding his, so he gave it a sharp tug. This time, Naruto let it go, making a puzzled face.

“Oh. I didn’t realize I was still holding it,” he said, raising the hand that had been holding Sasuke’s to the nape of his neck and rubbing the skin. “Your brother, you said? Are you lost.”

“…I don’t know.”

“I can help you if you want.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m a good person,” Naruto beamed brightly at him. “But more importantly, because I like you.”

“You like me?”

“Of course. You seem like a nice person. You’re not an asshole,” he explained, waving his hands and making himself look like a crazy person in the process. “I don’t encounter guys like you often.”

Sasuke felt himself blush again. What was with this guy?!

“I’m actually looking for someone, too. We can look for your brother together.”

“Who are you looking for?” He was surprised at his own boldness. There was something about Naruto that made him feel safe. He didn’t feel like running away. The anxiety was still there, but in a different form.

“Cinderella! She was on the stage a while ago.” He smiled. “I’m gonna find her no matter what.”

Sasuke blinked. “Why?”

“Because I love her. That’s why.”

Even though Sasuke didn’t understand why someone would look for an actress, just because she played their favorite character, he couldn’t help but get amazed at the happy look on Naruto’s face when he talked about her. He also noticed that there were scars on Naruto’s face, three parallel lines on both cheeks. They seemed deep.

“But we’ll find your brother first so don’t worry. You’re safe with me.” He smiled. No matter how stupid it was to say that, Sasuke felt physical warmth in his chest. “I’ll protect you until we find him.”

Sasuke’s hands weren’t sweaty anymore. He couldn’t take his eyes off the other, even when he tried to. He felt hypnotized. “…Why?”

“Because you’re the first person to ever speak to me like I’m a normal kid.”

Sasuke didn’t look away to hide his crooked smile.


End file.
